THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES SEVERAL IMPORTANT ISSUES AFFECTING THE BLACK BELT REGION OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH. THE REGION GEOGRAPHICALLY EXTENDS FROM EASTERN TEXAS TO EASTERN VIRGINIA, THE OLD CONFEDERACY, AND MAKES UP A DISTINCT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION WITH HISTORICCHALLENGES.THE REGION ISIN NEED OF ADDITIONAL STUDY AND RESEARCH IN ORDER TO TACKLE THE ECONOMIC INEFFICIENCIES WITHIN. THE REGION BEGAN AS AN AGRICULTURALLY-BASED ECONOMY, RELYING ON ENSLAVED AFRICAN LABOR TO PRODUCE NEEDED CROPS AND SERVICES. THERE WAS LITTLE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES OR EDUCATING THE ENSLAVED AFRICANS WHO WORKED THERE. AS THE REGION TRANSITIONED FROM AN AGRICULTURALLY-BASED ECONOMY TO A MANUFACTURING-BASED ECONOMY, MANY BLACK BELT COMMUNITIES USED LOW TAX RATES AND NONUNIONIZED, PREDOMINATELY AFRICAN AMERICAN WORKFORCES TO ATTRACT LOW-SKILL LOW-WAGE INDUSTRIES FOR MOST OF THE 20TH CENTURY. HOWEVER, AS THE MANUFACTURING ECONOMY GAVE WAY TO A KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY, THE REGION AND ITS' PEOPLE HAVE STRUGGLED TO FIND EMPLOYMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE BLACK BELT HAS BEEN A REGION OF PERSISTENT POVERTY AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND DISPLAYS MANY OF THE PROBLEMS FOUND IN OTHER RURAL REGIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. HOWEVER, WITHIN THE BLACK BELT REGION THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXACERBATED. MOST OF THE COUNTRY'SPERSISTENT POVERTY COUNTIES ARE LOCATED THERE. IN ADDITION, THE REGION IS DEFINED BY HIGH LEVELS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN POVERTY THAT HAS BEEN A GENERATIONAL PROBLEM. THIS REGION'S PRESENT STATUS IS INTRINSICALLY LINKED TO THE PAST WITH FEW PLANS OR RESOURCES TO ADDRESS GENERATIONS OF POVERTY, UNEMPLOYMENT OR UNDEREMPLOYMENT, INADEQUATE HEALTHCARE, AND LOW EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT. THESE FACTORS HAVE RESULTED IN RESOURCE POOR COMMUNITIES WITH LIMITED DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES. HISTORICALLY, THIS REGION HAS HOUSED THE LARGEST POPULATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE COUNTRY AND ENCOMPASSES MOST AFRICAN AMERICAN FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS. DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS, INCLUDING DISCRIMINATORYPOLICIES AND PRACTICES, AFRICAN AMERICAN LAND OWNERSHIP AND RETENTION HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY DIMINISHED. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT RACIAL WEALTH GAP WITHIN THE REGION AND NEGATIVELY INFLUENCES ASSET BUILDING CAPABILITIES. THEREFORE, BLACK BELT COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN ECONOMICALLY IMPAIRED DUE TO LOST REVENUES, LESSENED TAX COLLECTION, LIMITED GENERATIONAL WEALTH AND INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH TRANSFERS, AND THE LACK OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THAT THIS ECONOMIC DILEMMA HAS PRODUCED. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE FEW INDICATIONS THAT YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICANS SEE AGRICULTURE AS A VIABLE OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE, RESULTING IN A DISCONNECT OF MILLENNIALS TO THE LAND. ALSO, THE RICH HISTORY OF TRADITIONAL FOODWAYS THAT HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED BY GENERATIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND SERVED AS A VEHICLE TO SUPPORT A UNIQUE RICH CULTURE AND DISTINCT WAY OF LIFE HAS NOT BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED BY RESEARCHERS AND SCHOLARS.THE USDA CURRENTLY LEADS RURAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN THE COUNTRY AND THE FARM BILL SERVES AS THE CONDUIT. THERE IS A NEED TO ASSESS THIS IMPORTANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP THE BLACK BELT REGION AND THE PEOPLE THERE. THIS PROJECT ANALYZES THE FARM BILL FOR POSSIBLE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT MAY ASSIST IN DEVELOPING BLACK BELT COMMUNITIES AND AIDING ASSET BUILDING EFFORTS. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A NEED TO LINK YOUNG MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES IN AN EFFORT TO PRESERVE AGRICULTURE AND LAND RETENTION WITHIN THE REGION AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS. THE ECONOMIC QUANDARY WITHIN THE BLACK BELT REGION INFLUENCES SOUTHERN STATES AND THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. THIS RESEARCH IS AN EFFORT TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE HOST OF ISSUES IMPACTING THE BLACK BELT REGION AND ALLOWS FOR AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FARM BILL TO ASSIST IN THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT. BUT, IT ALSO ASSESSES HOW AFRICAN AMERICANS WITHIN THE REGION ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAMS AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED THEM. THE PROJECT AIMS TO IDENTIFY RESOURCES WITHIN THE BILL THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO WEALTH CREATION AND ASSET BUILDING. IN ADDITION, THE RESEARCH WILL HIGHLIGHT BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION AND SUCCESS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE THE POLICY MORE EFFECTIVE AND USEFUL TO BLACK BELT PEOPLE.THE PROJECT WILL ANALYZE THE 2014 FARM BILL AND IDENTIFY EXISTING RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS WITHIN THE BILL THAT MAY BE USEFUL IN ASSET BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES, RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE IDENTIFICATION AND PRESERVATION OF TRADITIONAL FOODWAYS. THE PROJECT WILL TARGET BLACK BELT COUNTIES WITH A 30 PERCENT AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION OR HIGHER. TARGETS OF THE RESEARCH WILL INCLUDE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS, FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS FROM THESE COUNTIES, USDA STATE DIRECTORS AND EXTENSION AGENTS, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO WORK ON AGRICULTURAL ISSUES IN THESE COUNTIES. THEY WILL BE ASKED TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND PERSPECTIVES ABOUT FARM BILL POLICY, ITS' IMPLEMENTATION, AS WELL AS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES PROVIDED. AS PART OF THE FARM BILL POLICY ANALYSIS, THERE WILL BE AN IDENTIFICATION OF KEY ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, INFORMATION WILL BE GATHERED AS TO HOW MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE BEING UTILIZED WITHIN SELECTED COUNTIES WITHIN THE REGION. A DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAMS, EXPERIENCES, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES WILL ALSO BE DEVELOPED AS THEY RELATE TO AFRICAN AMERICAN PARTICIPATION. IN ADDITION, THE BILL WILL BE ASSESSED ON INCLUSIVITY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND HOW THESE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS HAVE PROMOTED ASSET BUILDING AND WEALTH CREATION WITHIN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES OF THE BLACK BELT. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT BARRIERS OR CHALLENGES TO THE INCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION OF FARM BILL RESOURCES. FINALLY, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS AND OTHER DATA COLLECTION AND IT WILL BE RECORDED. THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP A REPORT AND ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING SERVICES TO AFRICAN AMERICANS WITHIN THE BLACK BELT REGION. THE RESULTS WILL BROADEN THE RESEARCH AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW USDA PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THE BLACK BELT REGION. ALSO, THE DATA WILL BE USED TO ASSESS THE BEST APPROACHES FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN OUTREACH AND PARTICIPATION IN USDA PROGRAMS. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL AIM TO DEVELOP SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN OUTREACH AND SUPPORT. THIS PROJECT HAS SIGNIFICANT SOCIETAL IMPACT AS BLACK BELT CONSTITUENTS WILL BE MADE AWARE OF OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE POLICY AND USDA WILL RECEIVE INFORMATION ON HOW WELL THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE IMPACTING THIS MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION. THERE WILL ALSO BE PROSPECTS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE IF NEEDED. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF BROADENING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC POLICY AND MAKING IT MORE IMPACTFUL IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE REGION.